Automobile control mechanism



M S I m KH5 N R m Nv mam .E um O T U A 8 4 9 1 9 an 6 I m I [NVEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 9,1948

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANIS Sergius T.Koberni'ck, ,Upper Darby, Pa. 7 ApplicationNovember 8, 1945, Serial No.627,392

I Claims. 1

This invention relates to a super'safety brake for motor vehicles, oneof the objects being to provide an assembly of parts whereby, byexerting pressures in different directions with the foot of the user,the gasicani'be controlled, the starter circuit closed oropened'and the.brake applied or released;

Anotherobiect is to'provide a structure which insures addedsafetythrough the fact that both the brake and gas always are underabsoluteintegrated and coordinated control, and by which the timerequired-for. application of the brake has been reduced .toandrreducible-minimum in.- sofar asis. concerned the time requiredbetween a decision and a movement imposed by the foot of the operator.

A further object is to provide a structure wherebi the foot of thedriver is always in contact with the brake pedal andat the same time isyieldingly supported on-a' gas controllever which, in turn; is utilizedas a starter circuit closer,.so that thefoot of the operator may remaininposition at alltimes for closing the starter circuit, operating thegas-control lever during operation of the vehicle, and applyingthebrake.

A further object is toprovide a structure of this character whichnormally constitutes'a comfortable rest for the foot of the driver.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partlyin section of the structure constituting the present invention, thenormal position of the foot of the driver being indicated by brokenlines.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the structure as viewed from the right inFig. 1, a portion of the foot plate being broken away.

Figure 3 is a view on a reduced scale showing the connection between thestructure and the carburetor.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designatesabracket fixedly mounted on the floorboard 2 and pivotally connected tothis bracket is a lever 3 the forward end 4 of which is connected by rod5 to the carburetor so with ears 6" constituting; bearings for rollers Iwhich, as shown; preferably converge backwardly so as to form asubstantially V-shaped seat ad'aptedtorreceivethe heel portion of theshoe s of thev driven:

This rear'end of the lever carries a lug 8 positioned Whereit can movedownwardly against and actuate the button 9 of a starter switch ID. Aspring ii isconnected-to the forwardly extended portion of:lever.3.andis of such strength as tosupportrtheba-ckcend of the lever in anintermediate position when subjected to the normal weight of the foot ofthedriver. This normal or intermediatepositionhas been indicated inFig. 1. Itisto be understood that the spring II canbeadjustably,connectedat one end so as to adapt the leveriforsupportmg:feet of diiferent weights.

Therusual brake-leverhas-been indicated at i2 and extendsceverrlever 3.It is equipped with a foot. plate? i3: proportioned to provide acomfortable restv fortlreihottomr of the: foot of the operator. Thelower portion of this foot plate can. he forked aszat. Hi to' straddlelever 3. In its normal position the foot plate is located where it canbe engaged by the sole of the shoe of the driver while the back of theheel of the shoe is resting comfortably on the rollers 1. Obviously withthe parts positioned as in Fig. 1 the brake is off, and a normal supplyof gas can flow to the engine.

When it is desired to use the structure for the purpose of starting themotor the driver may as desired press the toe portion of the footforwardly to apply the brake and during this action the driver alsopresses downwardly with the foot in a plane substantially parallel tothe foot plate I3, so as to close the starter switch and increase thesupply of gas to the motor. Thus the motor will be started as a resultof this one operation. Thereafter by relieving pressure on the pedal sothat the foot rests only lightly thereon, and permitting the foot andleg to relax, the spring I l which has been adjusted to the normalweight of the foot and leg will act to shift lever 3 and cause it toyieldingly support the foot in the position shown at which time the flowof gas to the motor will be cut down to normal. With the foot and leg inrelaxed position it is a simple matter to press the foot forwardly toapply the brake. Whenever desired a down pressure can be exertedsuifibient to partly or entirely overcome the resistance of spring IIfor the purpose of increasing the flow of gas to the motor.

Importance is attached to the fact that by using the structure describedthe foot is always in position to instantly apply the brake and is inposition at all times to accelerate the motor by increasing the gassimply by exerting a slight downward pressure against the rollers I.

When the brake is fully appliedto stop the vehicle, the foot of theoperator, in'moving the foot plate I3 forwardly, instantly andautomatically leaves the lever 3, and the gas supply, by

'- able resilient means connected to the lever for the very action ofapplying the brake as stated,

is automatically cut off. 7

While these improvements are designed primarily for use on motorvehicles it is to be understood that they can also be associated withstationary motors of the internal combustion type,

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a starter switch, of a spring restrained leverpositioned to actuate the switch when said lever is moved at one endfrom normal position, means for connecting one end of the lever to acarburetor, a brake lever having a foot plate overlying the springrestrained lever, and a foot rest and support carried by the springrestrained lever.

2. A structure of the class described including a brake lever having afoot plate, a lever fulcrumed beneath the brake lever, a foot rest andsupport carried by one end of the lever and spaced from the foot plate,means for connecting the other end of said pivoted lever to a carburetorand adjustable resilient means for holding said pivoted lever'normallyin anintermediate F position while being subjected to the weight of thefoot mounted thereon.

3. A structure of the class described including a brake lever having afoot plate, a lever fulcrumed beneath the brake lever, a foot rest andsupport carried by one end of the lever and spaced from the foot plate,means for connecting the other end of said pivoted lever to acarburetor, and adjustable resilient means for holdmal weight of thesupported foot of theoperator,

resisting movement thereof under the normal weight of the supported footof the operator, said lever being extended beneath the brake lever andfoot plate, and means for connecting the lever to a carburetor.

5. A structure of the class described including a brake lever having afoot plate for engagement by the sole of the shoe of an operator, andmeans extending under the foot plate for engaging and supporting theheel of said shoe,said means including a lever fulcrumed between itsends, heel engaging means at one end of the lever, adjustable resilientmeans connected to the lever for resisting movement thereof under thenormal weight of the supported foot of the operator, said lever beingextended'beneath the brake lever and foot plate, means for'connectingthe lever to a carburetor, a starter switch in the path of the lever,and means carried by the lever for actuating the switch when the leveris subjected to abnormal pressure by the supported foot.

' SERGIUS T. KOBERNICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis 7 patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

